Signal lamp



C. CHRJISTOFFERSON.

SFGNAL LAMP. APPLICAHON FILED SEPTJBO, 1919.

Patented July M, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

In my@ 02 C. A. CHRISTOFFEHSON. SIGNAL RAMP. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1919.

1,422,668, Patented July II, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

releases. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

SIGNAL LAME.

Patented July 11, 1922.

Application filed September 30, 1919. Serialili'o. 327,487.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN A. Ci-rnrs'rorrnRsoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Paul, county` of Ramsey, and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Lamps, of which the following lis a specilication, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. v

The yinvention relates to signal lamps for use in railway service, and particularly for such as are to be employed in connection with a semaphore. Y

The care of signal lamps imposes upon railroads a very heavy expense. It is essential that the lamp be dependable under all circumstances, as a failure is liable to cause the wrecking of a train. Present practice compels constant attention to the lamps lest by an exhaustion of the fuel there may be a failure of the light. The lamps are located along the line and the attendant is obliged to examine them all at frequent intervals.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lamp having a body of suitable size and shape, and a font of such a capacity as to contain sucient fuel for a long period of service.

An exemplication of the invention is shown in the accompanying` drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lamp with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The body 10, ventilating dome 11, burner 12, lens 13, and reflector 14 of the lamp are of ordinary construction, and are shown in substantially the proportion required for service. rlhe body is provided with a slide door 15, giving access to its interior for the purpose of trimming the burner, as is usual.

The font 16 is shown as comprising a seamless cup having an exterior bead, as 18, and a top, as 19, soldered to the cup 17. A ring made up of two parts 2O and 21, riveted together, is provided, the cup 17 fitting within the ring 20, with the bead 18 resting upon its top edge and with its lower corner resting upon the top edge of ring21. This construction provides a neat and very strong base for the font, which, in view of the sizeof the font, is very important.

The top 19 of the font is shown as generally cone shaped. For the purpose of attaching the body 10 to the font an annular shoulder 23, with a vertical face, is provided concentric with the perimeter of the font. To prevent water or oil which may gain access to the interior of the body 10.

from collecting in the joint between the body and the top of the font, a depression is shown at 24 adjacent the shoulder 2S.

rlhe filling opening, as 25, is preferably kept lower than the top of the font to prevent suilicient oil being put into the font to overflow into the interior of the body.

The lamp of the present invention having a large font will be relatively heavy when freshly filled, and strength in the socket which is intended to fit over a supporting bracket is therefore important. To secure the requisite strength the socket, as 26, is secured to the body 10 on two widely separated lines, at 27 and 28, Fig. 2, and is proljected beyond and runs to the bottom of the font-supporting ring 17, being riveted thereto, as at 29, 80.

A lamp having substantially the proportions as shown in the drawings, and being provided with a burner of the type illustrated, may be burned continuously for a period of approximately thirty days without refilling or retrimming. In present practice signal lamps must be given attention at short intervals,'so far as I am none of them being capable of service for a longer period than seven days.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a signal lamp, a font comprising a cup having an exterior bead, a composite supporting ring surrounding said cup and comprising inner and outer rings secured together, the outer ring extending above the inner ring, said exterior bead resting upon the top edge of the outer ring and the lower corner of 'the cup resting upon the top edge of the inner ring.

2. In a signal lamp, a font comprising a cup, a supporting ring surrounding said cup, a cone-shaped top for said font secured to said cup having an outer annular shoulder with a vertical face concentric with the perimeter of the font, a lamp body having an annular skirt surrounding said shoulder, a lamp socket secured to the body along widely separated lines, and running to the bottom of the font-supporting ring, and meansfor securing said socket to the ring.

3. In a signal'lamp, a font comprising a cup having an exterior bead, a composite ring surrounding said cup and' comprising innerand outer parts secured together, the outer ring extending above the inner ring, said exterior bead resting .upon lthe top edge of the outer ring, and the lower corner of the cup resting upon the top edge of the inner ring, a cone-shaped top for said font secured .to said cup and having an outer annular shoulder with a vertical face concentric with the perimeter of the font, a lamp body having an annular skirt surrounding said shoulder, and a lamp-supporting socket secured to the body and to the supporting ring.

4. In a signal lamp, a font comprising a seamless cup having an exterior bead, a composite ring surrounding said cup and comprising inner and outer parts secured together, the outer ring extending above the inner ring, said exterior bead resting upon the top yedge of the outer ring and the lower corner of the cup resting upon the top edge of the inner ring, a cone-shaped top for said font secured to said cup and having an `outer annular shoulder with a vertical face ooncentric with the perimeter of thefont7 a lamp body having an annular skirt surrounding said shoulder7 anv annular depression in said top adjacent said' shoulder for vpreventing the accumulation of liquid in .the joint between said skirt and the top of the font, a lamp supporting socket secured to the body along widely separatedlines and' running to thebottom of the fontsup porting ring, and means for securing said socket to the ring.

5. ln a signal lamp, .a font comprising a seamless cup having an exterior bead, Aa composite ring surrounding said. cup and comprising inner and outer parts secured together7 the outer ring extending above the inner ring, said exterior bead resting upon the top edge of the outer ring andthe lower corner of the cup resting upon the top edgeV 

